The broad objectives of the research are to determine the conformation of DNA in isolated condensed chromosomes and to define molecular interactions which organize and stabilize the structure. Specifically we intend to 1) define the interaction which stabilizes DNA folds in isolated bacterial nucleoids 2) define interactions which segregate the DNA into separate domains of supercoiling in isolated nucleoids 3) determine if the organized conformation of condensed bacterial DNA is a static or dynamic structure 4) begin investigations of isolated condensed chromatin from eukaryotic cells to determine the state of DNA folding and supercoiling.